Electric elevator



No. 609,0I6. Patented Aug. 16, I898.

R. EICKEMEYER.

ELECTRIC ELEVATOR.

(Apglication filed my 8, 1892.)

9 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

m; poms PEYERS cc. wommno" WASHINGTON, 0.0

Patented Aug. I6, I898. R. EICKEMEYER.

ELECTRIC ELEVATOR.

(Application filed May 3, 1892.)

9 Sheets-Sheet 4.

No. 609,0I6.

(No Model.)

Patented Aug. I6, I898.

No. seems.

R. EICKEMEYER.

ELECTRIC ELEVATOR.

(Application filed May 3, 1892.)

9 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

Patented Aug. l6, I838.

No. 609,0l6.

R. EICKEMEYER.

ELECTRIC ELEVATOR.

(Application filed Kay 3, 1892) 9 Sheets-Sheet 6.

(lo llodal.)

In?) 6717607".- W

No. 609,0]6. Patented Aug. 16, I898. B EICKEMEYER ELECTRIC ELEVATOR.

(Application filed my 3, 18994) 9 Sheeia5heet 7.

(No Model.)

No. 609,0l6. Patented Aug. I6, was.

R EICKEIEYER ELECTRIC ELEVATOR. (App! ltmn flhd I178 1892) (No Model) 9Sheets-Shoot 8.

No. 609,0l6. Patented Aug. I6, I898. B. EICKEMEYER.

ELECTRIC ELEVATOR.

(Applimtion filed Kay 3, 1892.) (No Model.)

9 Sheets-Sheet 9.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

RUDOLF EIOKEMEYER, OF YONKERS, NEIV YORK.

ELECTRIC ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,016, dated August16, 1898.

Application filed May 3, 1892. Serial No. 431,658. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDoLF EIOKEMEYER, of Yonkers, in the county oflVestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Elevators; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing specification, taken in connection with the drawings furnishedand forming a part of the same, is a clear, true, and completedescription of the several features of my invention.

In a patent granted to me June 23, 1891, No. 454,462, I have disclosedcertain improvements which enable the elevator-motor to beself-regulating as to speed and direction of motion. My presentimprovements relate to electric elevators of the same type. Some of theimprovements are of value in elevators when a shunt-motor is used andothers in elevator machinery when compound-wound motors are used. Imaintain the current flow within safe limits, as in the former case, byantomatically-operated resistance-coils, which are out in and out of thecircuit in such a manner as to maintain the strength of the current inthe armature at such maximum as it can safely carry. I guard againstdamage from the disruptive discharge of the extra currents in thefield-coils by so arranging the connections that the field-coils, thoughthey maybe disconnected from the line, are never broken,

' but at such times have their terminals connected by a shunt-circuit ofcomparatively low resistance, said shunt-circuit afiording a path forthe extra currents of practically no appreciable resistance incomparison with the resistance of the field-circuit. This safetyshuntmay well be composed of the armature itself, and to attain this result Iso arrange the connections that the armature is at all times in closedshunt-circuit with the field and both are connected and disconnectedfrom the main line together, so when it is necessary to reverse theterminal connections of the armature to obtain a reverse motion of themotor it is done at a time when the m0- tor is entirely disconnectedfrom the main line.

Sheet 1, Figures 1, 2, and 8, show front view, longitudinal, andtransverse sections of the regulator-box. Sheet 2, Figs. 4? to 12,

Show the armattire-reversing mechanism on enlarged scale. Sheet 3, Figs.13 to 19, show the automatic safety arrangement which limits thecurrent. 7 Sheets at to 8, inclusive, Figs. 20 to 25, show diagrams ofthe connections of the circuits of the motor and its controllingdevices. Sheet 9, Fig. 26, illustrates in elevation so much of acomplete elevator organization as is deemed necessary for the purposesof this specification.

In Fig. 26 the compound electric motor A, the hoisting-drum l3 and itsgearing, and the elevator car or platform 13 are organized as in thewell-known Otis elevators, the braking mechanism at B being operated bymeans of a vertical vibrating lever c and the link or bar a, geared to ahand-wheel on the hoisting-drum shaft and controlled by the usualhand-line c which engages with said wheel andis operatively accessibleat the car, and is also adapted to be automatically operated by the carat both of its extreme limits of movement. The link or bar a is alsocoupled with the regulator-box A for. mechanically operating the same,because of its connection with the regulator-shaft S (shown in dottedlines) by means of a vertical arm a on said shaft and a rigid verticalarm d carried at the end of the link or bar a, said two arms beingpivotally connected together, as at a so that the longitudinalreciprocation of the link a, as by the hand-line a will impart thelimited rocking movement to the shaft S, which is required formechanically operating the electric regulating and controlling deviceswithin the regulator-box A, and thereby starting, stopping, andreversing the motor A in exact harmony with appropiate variations in theoperation of the braking mechanism.

On top of the resistance-box, beneath a detachable shield or guard, theappropriate screw-posts are located, and these are provided withsuitable safety-fuses.

In Figs. 1 and 2, Sheet 1, the armature-controlling device or commutatorO is shown to consist of a cylinder of insulating material 0, looselymounted on the regulator-shaft Sand surrounded by four brushes 0 b b I).These brushes rest upon the two copper segments 5 s on the commutator O,as shown in detail on Sheet 2 in Fig. 4: in front view and inlongitudinal section in Fig. 5. These four sets of brushes 1) b 11 N,with their brush-holder pins 19 19 19 19 are mounted on insulatedsupports 10 Two of the brushes 5 and b are connected with thearmature-terminals, the other two, I) and 12 with the main line, as willbe explained more fully when describing the diagram of connections, Fig.20, Sheet 4.. One of said brushes is shown detached in Fig. 4:, Sheet 2.

When by means of the regulator-shaft S the commutator C is turned to theright, the line-current passes from 11 over segment 8 through brush 6into the armature and from the armature through brush 1) over segment 5and brush 1) back into the line.

The brushes Z1 Z2 b b consist of two blades set one slightly in advanceof the other, so that they make connection on one plate of the commutator-cylinder C before breaking away from the plate with which theywere lastin contact. This results in a momentary shortcircuiting of thearmature at the instant of a reversal of current direction through itscoils. It is to be understood that at the time of this short-circuitingthe brushes Z) b are already disconnected from the line by the cut-outswitch 6, as will hereinafter be described, while the extra current fromthe field-coil always finds a circuit either through the armature orthrough the closed contact on the commutator-cylinder 0. Specialprovisions are made to avoid short-circuiting of the armature at everystoppage of the motor, to accomplish which the commutator O is mountedloosely upon the shaft S. On this shaft is mounted a double cam or fork0, Figs. 8 and 9, Sheet 2, which cams embrace the catch 0 Figs. 6 and 7rigidly connected to the commutator-cylinder O. The distance bet-weenthis cam or fork and the width of the catch is such as to allow ofconsiderable slack motion between the shaft S and commutator-cylinder C,so that in the operation of stopping the motor when the shaft S iscarried back to the middle position or position of rest the commutatorCdoes not follow exactly, but lags behind and does not arrive at theposition where the short circuit of the armature is accomplished, butthe armature is still left in circuit and in shunt relation to thefield-windings brush, said position being shown in Fig. 4 and incircuit, Figs. 20 and 21.

Now on starting the motor again in the same direction of rotation theshaft S makes a reverse rotation and the armature short circuit isavoided entirely. 0n the other hand, if the start is to be in thereverse direction the shaft S continues its revolution in the samedirection as at first, and now the armature is mo- Inentarilyshort-circuited and then connected again with poles reversed to thefirst connection, after which a connection is established betweenbrushes 12 Z) to the line. Therefore the relative positionsbetween thecut-out and the commutator C have to be arranged so that the armatureshort circuit is taken off before the cut-out switch connects the motorwith the line.

This connection between brushes 6 and b and the main line is establishedand broken by means of a quick-break cut-out switch, as at e d d, all asexplained in my former patent application. The current after passingthrough a safety-fuse, as shown in Fig. 20, enters the block (1, block dbeing connected to the motor-circuit. tween cl d is established by thearm 6, which is mounted on the shaft 6 with the toothed wheel f. (Shownin large size in Figs. 13 and 14C and in section in Fig. 1.7.) Thistoothed wheel f has but three teeth g g g which are engaged by two pinsh h on a lever 2', which is fixedly carried on the main regulator shaftS. This gear-wheel f has also a cam 70, affording three cam-faces k 70against which a f jockey-wheel Z at one end of a bell-crank lever m isforced by a spring a, as shown in Figs.

13 and 14, an edge view of this bell-crank lever on being shown in Fig.16.

In a position of rest the jockey-wheel Z rests in the notch k and toothg stands between a the pins h and h2 of lever 2', as shown in Fig. 14.When starting the elevator, the regulatorshaft S is turned, and therebythe lever & is

correspondingly swung, for instance, to the left. Then pin 7L2 engageswith the tooth g and imparts motion to the g-ear-wheelf, thereby raisingthe jockey-wheel Z outof the notch 1 70 until it drops into notch andthe bar '5 establishes connection between the plates (1 and d. The leveri now being free continues its motion to one of its extreme positions,as shown in Fig. 13.

To stop the elevator and motor, the lever i is turned backward by meansof shaft S, enablin g pin 71 to engage with tooth g followed soon afterby the pin h engaging with tooth By this motion of the toothed wheel fthe jockey-roller Z is raised out of the cam-notch 70 until it rests onthe projection between the cam-notches k and W. In this position the bare still connects the plates d and (Z, but at the next moment the springit throws the jockey-wheel Z into the cam-notch 70 and forces thetoothed wheelf, with a quick motion, to

1 carry the arm 6 out of contact with the plates (1 and 61, thusbreaking the circuit and re- 1 turning to the middle position of rest.(Shown in Fig. 14.) In the same way when the lever 11 is moved to theright hand the jockey-wheel Zreaches the cam-notch 7c and the pin hongages with the tooth 9 To guard against damage from abnormal currents,the safety device,which includes the solenoid 0, with its iron core 19is employed. The main current traverses this solenoid 0. The core 19 iscounterbalanced by the adj ustable weight g so that in the absence ofcurrent or the presence of only a normal amount of current the suctionor inwardly-pulling power of the solenoid is insufficient to hold thecore 19 within it; but when an abnormal The connection be- IIO currenttraverses its coils the iron core is held, or, if then out, is quicklydrawn within the solenoid. The core 11 at its outer extremity carries abrush 0*, which bears on a number of insulated contact -plates r W,820., between which are connected resistance-coils, (shown as t in Fig.3.) The main current enters through the top bar, and when the core p ispractically out of the solenoid passes directly through brush 1' and itscontacts to the armature; but if the core 17 is drawn into the solenoidthe current first traverses the appropriate resistances before itarrives at the brush 9''. In this way an abnormal current automaticallycuts in resistance and balances itself, so that if the motor is stalledor held at rest when under full current-pressure it can never receive anamount of current which will be damaging to its windings.

A cam is mounted on the regulator-shaft S, (marked to.) This cam is inthis case integral with the lever t" and is provided with interior openspaces at both ends and a projection 12 in the middle, Figs. 13 and ll.Opposite to or in contact with this cam u there is a roller x, attachedto a lever or arm 3 which in turn is rigidly connected to thesolenoid-core p turning of the shaft S brings the roller :20 oppositethe appropriate open space 4.0 of the cam it, then leaving thesolenoid-core 17 free to adjust itself to the current strength in thecircuit, the current at this time being strong enough to hold the core19 in the solenoid, and thus maintain all the resistance in circuit. Assoon, however, as the motor gathers speed its counter eleetromotiveforce so decreases the strength of the main current that the solenoid isno longer able to hold the core 1), which then gradually retires fromthe solenoid, progressively cutting out more and more of the resistancefrom the circuit by the movement of the brush 0 until when the motorreaches full speed it will be found that all the resistance has beenremoved from the circuit, as shown in Fig. 13, where all the resistanceis cut out.

Series of coarse-wire field-coils may be connccted between one or moreof the bars r W, &c., and be used as starting-coils. These are cut outwhen the motor gathers headway, as has been already shown in the case ofthe resistances just above cited. lVhen cutting out the series orstarting field-coils, a part of the turns of the solenoid may be cut outsimultaneously, so as to keep the magnetizing power of the solenoidunchanged in spite of the increase of current caused by the cutting outof the series coils.

Again, should the motor be overloaded or stalled any abnormal current inthe solenoid will cause it to suck up the corep and by inserting itsattached resistance in the circuit prevent damage to the motorwindings.

To more completely illustrate the operation of the mechanism and itsconnections, Sheets v4: and 5, Figs. 20 and 21, are shown.

111 Fig. 20 the current enters from line and generator G through asafety-fuse, through the cut-out switch 9 d cl, over conductor 1. Thencea branch current passes through the motor-field F and back overconductors 2 and 3 and a second safety-fuse into the line. The maincurrent passes over conductor or wire 4 to the top plate or bar 1',thence through the resistances R until it reaches the brush 0, or if themotor is running with normal speed and brush r rests on the top bar 9'the current passes directly from wire 4, over bar a", through brush 9,and thence over wire 5 to the solenoid 0. A branch wire 6 connects thebottom bar r with the solenoid, so that even if the brush 0 should bedisabled the current will still have apath open through all theresistances R. From the solenoid o the current flows over wire 7 to thebrush Z) of the armature-reversing commutator C, over brushes 6 or b andthrough the armature the one or the other way, according to the positionof the commutator C, and from the other brush b wire 3, and safety-fuseback into the line.

In Fig. 21 a slightly-different arrangement is shown, the solenoid 0being connected in series to the shunt-field, the motor A containingalso a series or starting field-coil c011- trolled by the solenoid o andbrush 0. Here the current enters over one safety-fuse and the cut-out cd 61, over wire 1, through the solenoid o. Thence a branch currentpasses over the wire 2, through the shunt-field Fof the motor, and outand back over wire 3, through the second safety-f use to the line andgenerator G, while the main current passes either over wire 2, alsothrough the series field-coil F, back over wire 6, and through theresistances R to the top bar 0*, or if the brush 0 rests on one of thebars between r and r the current passes from 0, over wire 4, leaving outa part 0 of the solenoid, turns to brush 7' and to the bars between 0"and 0-, and over resistances R to bar '2', or in the event of the brush'1' resting on this bar 0" then directly from 9' to r, and over wire 7to the armattire-reversing switch, a safetywire 8 connecting, as before,with the bottom bar 1.

It is exceedingly important that the armature-circuit should be reversedbya continuity-preserving device, so as to allow of no possible break atthis point, as such break would be liable to cause great damage in thearmature or other parts by reason of the currents ance connected in, asshown in Fig. 22.

of self-induction. To insure this continuity preserving feature, each ofthe brushes 6 and b on the reversing-commutator switch 0 embodies twocontact faces or brushes which are triangular in cross-section, onehaving a lead from its mate of somewhat more than the width ofinsulation between the plates of the commutator C, as best seen in Fig.24, where the commutator is shown at the instant of reversal. Springs atthe back of these brushes 1) and serve to press them firmly against thecommutator-plates.

In Fig. 24 and also in Figs. 20, 21, 22, 23, and 25 the copperconducting portions of the commutator O are shown in black.

Another arrangement of parts is shown in diagram Fig. 22, Sheet 6. Inthis arrangement the motor A is .a compound-wound motor, having a shuntfield-coil F and a series field-coil F The shunt field-coils areconnected into the circuit in the same way as in Fig. 21 and leftunaltered, while the series field F is controlled by the solenoid'o,which has in this case the double function of inserting resistance intothe circuit and by resist ance shunting more and more of the series coilfrom the circuit.

The solenoid-switch r r, &c., in Fig. 22 is shown in detail in adetached portion of the figure at 22 in plane projection and also in anedge view, as in preceding figures. The middle bar r is shown to beextended upward and connected with the wire 5, which is one terminal ofthe series coil, while the other series-coil terminal or wire 6 isconnected to the top bar 0. Now the main current enters through thesolenoid-brush r to the bottom bar r (so long as the solenoid-core isdrawn fully inward) and passes through the resistances R to the middlebar r and therefrom over wire 5 to series field-coil F and thence overthe wire 6 to the top bar r and over wire 7 to the brush 1) of thearmature-reversing commutator C, while a small branch current passesfrom r over resistances R in shunt to the series field F to top bar 0',if there be between bars r and r a resist- If this resistance between rand r is left out and r and r are insulated from each other, then thefull armature-current passes through series field F I prefer to connectr and r by a comparatively large resistance, so that the series field isalways shunted by a resist ance, which at the moment of breaking thecircuit acts as a safety-shunt in taking ofi the extra current of theseries field.

When the solenoid 0 begins to release its core, owing to decrease ofcurrent caused by a starting of the motor, the brush 1" cuts outsuccessively the resistances R until when brush 1" reaches bar r thearmature-current passes directly from the brush r over the wire 5,through the series field F back over wire 6, and through wire 7 tocommutator C.

If now the brush r continues its upward motion by passing over bars 1-to r, it sucof the field-coil F cessively short-circuits theshunt-resistances R of the series fields, and thereby shunts more andmore current off the series field F through the shuntresistance R untilwhen the brush 1" bears on the top bar 4" the series field F ispractically short-circuited. During this whole second part of thismovement of the solenoid-brush r it maintains contact with bar r whichis extended upward,

I that shown in Fig. 22, the main difference being that in Figs. 23 and24 the resistances R, here used as a shunt for the series field F werebefore used as starting resistances R. The operation of theseconnections will be best explained by the plane development of thesolenoid-switch r 'r, &c. (Shown in Figs. 23 and 24.)

Insulated parts in Figs. 23 and 24 are represented in black. Thesolenoid-core carries two brushes 0 and 1, in the use of which the brush1" carries the current into the solenoidswitch, while the other brush ris used merely as a short-circuiting brush and is insulated from theother brush and theirholderpins.

In Fig. 23 the armature-current passes through solenoid o to brush 9 andbar r", from these through resistances R to bar W, and.

r the lower part of r the current passes from 1" over r and Wire 1 tothe series field F and over 2 to the armature.

As soon as brush 0 reaches the upper half of bar r the short-circuitingbrush 7 connects the two contact-plates r and r, thus providing ashunt-circuit for the field-coil F through.the resistance R, the topbars r to 4' being connected to the bottom bars 0" to r ,while bar 1" isconnected to the bar rand the bar r to the other terminal (or wire 3) Bythe further upward movement of the brushes the resistances R aregradually short-circuited again, and the current in the series field Fis decreased.

Should the motor be accidentally overloaded or stalled, the core will bepromptly drawn into the solenoid, and this will first strengthen theseries field and increase the torque of the motor until brush '1',passing over 1' to 1', brings resistance B into the armature-circuit,and thus reduces the current down to a safe limit.

A slightly-different arrangement is shown in Fig. 24. Here thearmature-current passes from the solenoid 0 over the wire 1 to theseries field F thence over the wire 2 to the brush TX, thence throughthe contact-plate r to the brush a" and over bar 0' through theresistance R to bar 1, and over the wire 3 to the brushes b of thecommutator G. hen the solenoid-core is released, the resistances R arecut out first, and when the brush '1' rests on bar 7' the current passesdirectly from r r to the wire 3, and when the brush reaches the bar 0*,which is connected to r brings in a short circuit through R for theseries field Fiwhich shunt is gradually shortcircuited by the furtherupward movement of the brush 0, the bars 1* to being connected with thebars r r. Fig. 24. shows another change on the armature-reversing commutator C, which I use for large motors, which sometimes run under alight load with great momentum, so that on a sudden reversal of themotor the armature short circuit is broken on C before the armaturecomes to a state of rest. A short-circuiting of the armature whilerevolving causes an intense current to circulate in its coils, whichwhen broken by the double brushes 1) and b is on a further revolution ofthe commutator O apt to cause damage to these brushes. To guard againstthis, I do not short-circuit the armature completely at the moment ofreversal, but, rather, close it through a suitable resistance It and RThe two brushes of each set I) and b are insulated from each otheras,for instance, by being mounted on separate pins p p and p p. Connectionbetween brushpins 3 and p is made througharesistance R, while the pins19 and 17 have a similar connection through resistance R It will be seenthat'in this case at the moment of short-circuiting during a reversalthe short-circuit-ing is accomplished through the resistances R and Itinstead of being accomplished withoutthe interposition of resistance, asin the first cases. This resistancematerially diminishes the flow ofcurrent which is experienced when the armature is shortcircuited duringits revolution and prevents consequent damage to the brushes 1) and b Atthe completion of the reversal these resistances are short-circuited,both brushes resting on the same terminal plate on the commutator C.

Still another method of connections is shown in Fig. 25, Sheet 8. Themotor A and its circuits are essentially the same as those shown in Fig.20, Sheet 4; but in that figure the current in the shunt-field remainsunchanged, while the armature-current is reversed for reversing thedirection of rotation of the motor, whereas in Fig. 25 the current isconstant in its direction through the armature and is controlled by thesolenoid O and resistance R during the reversal of the current in theshunt-field of the motor by means of the commutator C. Now thelinecurrent enters from the generator G via one safety-fuse and thecut-out c d (1' over wires 1 and 2 to block 0" and therefrom eitherdirectly or over the resistances R (according to the position of thesolenoid-core) to the brush 7* over the wire 8, which is connected by 4with contact-bar 9- as a safety-shunt to the solenoid O, and then overwire .5 through the armature of the motorA and over wire 6 and via theother safety-fuse back into the line. From the wires 2 and 6 the wires 7and 8 branch off to the brushes 1) and b bearing on thereversing-commutator C, from which the current enters the field-coilFvia brushes 6 and b in one or the other direction, determined by theposition of the switch 0.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In elevator machinery,the combination with the traveling car-body or platform, of a compoundmotor, a resistance in shunt relation to the series coil of said motor,and a s0- lenoid automatically controlling the magnetizing power of saidseries field-coil by gradually short-circuiting said resistance.

2. In elevator machinery, the combination with the platform or car, of acompound motor, a resistance in the armature-circuit, a solenoidautomatically controlling the armature-circuit and the magnetizing powerof the series field by first gradually cutting out the resistance in thearm ature-circuit,then shunting the series field by this sameresistance, then gradually short-circuiting said resistance.

3. In elevating mechanism the combination with the moving car orplatform, of an electric motor, a reversingswitch connected sustantially as described, for reversing the appropriate current in themotor, and so shortcircuiting that current that the short circuit isoperative during such reversal, and inoperative during the operation ofstopping the motor.

RUDOLF EICKEMEYER.

Witnesses:

STEPHEN D. FIELD, CHAS. P. $rnnvirnrz.

